Summary of ideas submitted in the Policy category…

• Public contracts and public licences should favour companies who are not tax exiles.
• Public procurement laws are being followed too rigidly; they need to be more flexible as they are in other EU countries.
• Push back VAT deadlines to let companies use the cash.
• Put our enterprise base on a new footing through a new green deal, open up new investment streams, an enterprise guarantee and new models of public economic activity.
• Raise the school leaving age to 18.
• Reduce all mortgages on owner-occupied homes by 10-20%. This will take the pressure off people struggling with mortgage repayments. Those who can still afford to pay their mortgages will have more confidence and incentive to spend their extra income on other parts of the economy.
• Reduce corporation tax to entice companies to our shores again.
• Reduce or eliminate tax deductions on pension contributions. Introduce a property tax and a ’super tax’ on ’super profits’ and the ’super-rich’.
• Reduce PRSI for new businesses to help them get a foothold in the industry
• Reduce salaries for a short, fixed period of time.
• Reduce spending in the criminal justice system.
• Reduce state expenditure on office rentals; reduce CO2 emissions and reduce sick days claimed by office staff by allowing some back office civil servants to work from home.
• Reduce tax rates, cut stamp duty on houses and give people more disposable income. People will spend more and the economy will begin to move again. This will bring in revenue for the Government, in vat, stamp duty, etc. Taking more tax from people will shut down our economy
• Reduce TDs salaries by 40%, minimum wage by 15% and all civil servant wages and other Government payments by 15%.
• Reduce the amount government departments and other state agencies spend on renting property.
• Reduce the Civil Service numbers by at least 20% (resulting in €16billion saving approx).
• Reduce the cost of local Government and improve services to citizens as seen in Mauritius where the Government employed a consulting company to launch a nationwide programme to reduce the cost of services to citizens.
• Reduce the jurisdiction of local councils.
• Reduce the minimum wage to our nearest neighbour levels (UK and France).
• Reduce the number of administrative staff in the HSE and eliminate all public service bonuses for two years.
• Reduce the number of civil servants who have the authority to purchase goods for their department therefore creating more control over expenditure.
• Reduce the number of joint committees in the Seanad and form select committees comprised of experts in the field.
• Reduce the number of politicians working from home.
• Reduce the number of public representatives.
• Reduce the number of TDs by 33%.
• Reduce the number of TDs per head of population, get rid of all junior ministers, office of the President should be not be salaried, should only cover expenses.
• Reduce the number of unnecessary state agencies.
• Reduce the operating costs of small firms.
• Reduce the price of all Government charges, energy costs, goods and services traded in Ireland by 20%.
• Reduce the Taoiseach’s and ministers’ salaries by 20%, as part of an overall focus on reducing public service expenditure.
• Reduce unemployment benefits.
• Reduce VAT rate to 15.5% from 21%. Leave existing tax rates as they are.
• Reduce VAT rate to 8% to jump-start retail activity.
• Reduce VAT to 14% for 3 years and reduce VRT on cars.
• Reduce; the minimum wage, tax bands, all social welfare, and all public sector pay.